


Collision Course

by definitelybread



Category: Biohazard | Resident Evil (Gameverse)
Genre: Cleon, F/M, Fluffy, Unresolved Romantic Tension, non Canon, proposal au
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-27
Updated: 2021-01-27
Packaged: 2021-03-17 15:56:03
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 6,106
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28602564
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/definitelybread/pseuds/definitelybread
Summary: They've always been electric, the two of them. And it doesn't take much to ignite a spark. — Slow burn Claire/Leon
Relationships: Chris Redfield/Jill Valentine, Leon S. Kennedy/Claire Redfield, Sherry Birkin/Jake Muller
Comments: 4
Kudos: 30





	1. fresh cherry red

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> But then, she’d always been attractive, he muses. Especially the first time he’d seen her — outside a gas station that was crawling with the undead. She was drenched and terrified, and even as he frantically shoved her into a cop car, he’d noted her green-blue eyes. They were striking, and the flecks of gold that resided within them managed to give him momentary pause.

Of all the places Claire thought she would end up, a cruise ship was not on the list.

"Would you like a glass of champagne, miss?" A stewardess asks Jill as she passes by. 

Jill, who is already tipsy, gleefully accepts. “Don’t mind if I do.”

Claire adjusts her sunglasses and scans the deck around them for any sign of familiar faces. “Where did the others go?” she asks, to no one in particular.

Jill hiccups, taking another sip of her delicious prosecco. “Probably taking advantage of the free pizza while we wait for our rooms.”

The late afternoon sun beats down on Claire’s pale shoulders; the heat causing more sweat to trickle down the back of her neck. _I should have cut my hair before flying out here,_ she laments in her head. To be fair, it was only thirty degrees at home. She kicks her feet around a bit in the pool beneath them.

_At least it will be sunny here._

"Hey, the free pizza isn’t half bad," a deep voice sounds from behind the two of them. The two women turn, eyeing Chris Redfield - Claire’s (surprisingly) older brother, and Jill’s boyfriend - as he crams a greasy half of pepperoni pizza into his mouth. Sherry Birkin pops up around his left shoulder, her cropped sandy-blonde hair curling from the humidity. 

"Yeah, it’s actually pretty good, _"_ she concurs. 

The pizza deliberation is interrupted by a brief announcement that the cruise ship has finished boarding and will shortly be leaving the dock. 

Claire looks at Sherry. “We’re still rooming together, right?” 

She doesn’t see, but Jill leans around her and shoots Sherry a glare before nonchalantly downing the rest of her champagne. 

The younger girl looks at her toes, painted a fresh cherry red. “Well, Chris must have made a mistake when booking the rooms because he put me with Jake.” She grimaces sheepishly at Claire. “I hope you don’t mind being by yourself.” 

“But I thought Jill paired -”

“Hey, guys.” 

Claire is distracted from her confusion by a tousled head of sandy blonde hair and two bright steel-grey eyes.

“Leon!” Sherry jumps up and squeezes him. “Want some pizza?”

They all move into the lobby of the ship, chattering the whole way. 

“Red.”

Heat flares in Claire’s chest cavity as Leon’s arm brushes against hers. He must have fallen back to walk with her after catching up with Sherry.

“Oh, hi. You know, I’ve told you to stop calling me that. My hair’s closer to auburn than it is red.”

He’s quiet for a moment as they move into line for their cabin keys. 

“But I can’t exactly call you Auburn, now can I?” 

She shakes her head, laughing. “I guess not.”

He takes his key and taps it on her head. “I’ll see you at dinner?”

She smiles. “Sure.”

Leon grins to himself as he walks towards the elevator. Claire was always so much fun to tease.

And so _cute._

But then, she’d always been attractive, he muses. Especially the first time he’d seen her — outside a gas station that was crawling with the undead. She was drenched and terrified, and even as he frantically shoved her into a cop car, he’d noted her green-blue eyes. They were striking, and the flecks of gold that resided within them managed to give him momentary pause. 

He follows the crowd of people heading towards the nearby suites. _Suite 750...750.._

As he rounds the corner to the hall he thinks may be his, he’s surprised to find Claire standing not too far from him.

She looks up. He waves.

“What room you got?” he asks.

“Suite 750,” she crows. “Balcony and everything.”

His smile falters.

“...that’s my room.”

She rolls her eyes mirthfully at him. “”Haha, so funny.”

Leon strides to the door she’s lingering in front of and taps his card against the reader. 

The light flashes green and the door clicks softly, unlocking.

Claire blinks owlishly.

“Well.”

This was awkward.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey there! So this fic was originally published under the name "Bound to You," and I actually took it down about a week or so ago for some heavy editing. Hopefully, some chapters will look and feel different — it's because I want this to be a little cleaner. When I initially began writing it, it was on a whim; with poor plotting. I would love some feedback on this improved version! Following chapters will be posted as I finish sifting through them. Thank you for reading, and do leave a comment - I adore talking to people. Hope you enjoy! See you next chapter :D  
> Edited to add: this fic will largely be updated Monday-Wednesday (1x per week!)


	2. glowy tint; obvious joy

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> She remembers, she'd once asked Jill when she and Chris had first moved in together why she had so many photos. "My dad died when I was still a kid, and I think my mom's way of preserving both him and other memories was photography. Since she's died, I guess I've taken that responsibility upon myself." She hesitates, eyes becoming misty. "And...especially with my career path...I think it's a good way to stop time forever." 

[ _⏪︎ three months ago_ ]

Claire raps lightly on the front door, shifting the pan of food she’d brought in her hands. 

“Hey, brat,” her brother says, smiling at her. Sherry’s head pokes out from beneath his arm, and she shoves past him to drag Claire inside. 

She’s greeted by warm, delicious smelling air as Jill appears and strips her of her coat and scarf. “We’re having beef stew and beer bread, I hope that’s okay,” she hollers as she walks away.

“More than okay,” Claire says, to no one in particular.

“How are you?” Sherry squeals. “How’s work?” Claire feels her heart warm at Sherry’s enthusiasm.

Menial chatter ensues. 

The sound of the doorbell ringing has Jill's brow furrowing.

“We didn’t invite anyone else.”

“Does that mean I have to go home?” A familiar voice asks. Leon Kennedy rounds the corner with a wry smile and a six pack of beer. He’s donned a dark green bomber jacket, and his hair is falling in damp spikes across his forehead. 

Jill claps her hands together.

“What a nice surprise!” She pats the cushion next to Claire as Chris dutifully carries the beer back into the kitchen.

“Hey, Red,” Leon says. “Nice to see you.” He smells like aftershave. 

Claire’s heart rate spikes by a million, and she coughs. 

“H-hey.”

“That’s it? Nothing witty to say?”

“Not much. How is work?” She manages. 

His eyes follow Sherry as he formulates an answer, gazing paternally at her. _It’s probably been a while since he’s seen her_ , Claire thinks. Leon had always kept in touch with Sherry since Raccoon City (perhaps even better contact than she had). The two of them had a relationship not quite father and daughter, and yet it was one much like it - their experiences had made sure to cement that, too.

The blonde is talking animatedly to Jill about something Jake had said to her the other day. Her smile is brilliant as she babbles.

“It’s...work, I guess. Pretty quiet on the action front. Just ridiculous amounts of paperwork.”

“Hunnigan?”

He winces. “Not great. Her last date didn’t go so well, and she’s been taking it out on me.” 

Claire covers her laugh with her hand.

Later, after dinner, Jill and Chris are washing the dishes as Leon helps Sherry pack away leftover food. Jill bickers jokingly with Leon, and everyone erupts into raucous laughter as Claire peruses the photos Jill’s placed around the living room.

There's a lot - for instance, one with what might be Jill and her mother (she's not sure, but they look quite similar: same heart-shaped face and bright eyes), and one with Chris (they were at the zoo with Claire; she took the picture), and one from her youth. Young Jill has a cow-print dress on and a cheeky, devious grin. 

She remembers, she'd once asked Jill when she and Chris had first moved in together why she had so many photos. _"_ _My dad died when I was still a kid, and I think my mom's way of preserving both him and other memories was photography. Since she's died, I guess I've taken that responsibility upon myself." She hesitates, eyes becoming misty. "And...especially with my career path...I think it's a good way to stop time forever."_

Something tiny snaps in Claire's ribcage as she recalls Jill's sad smile.

She glances back into the kitchen and spots her brother singing passionately along to The Killers as he scrubs a plate. Jill launches a handful of soap into his face, and they dissolve in mirth.

_They're good for each other._

Eleven-thirty rolls around, and Jill’s downing a fourth glass of wine. She’s hiccupy and giggling — and Chris is having none of it.

“You know, Claire, Chris...is..he’s wrong about us when he says we’re dangerous together,” she slurs in her younger friend’s general direction.

“Yeah, speaking as the person who knows the both of you the best...,” Chris cuts in, scooping her shoulder into his arm. “I think it’s time for you to get to bed.”

Jill complains, but allows Chris to haul her up the stairs.

“Hey - don’t you go boneless on me, Jill! Y - _quit groping me_!”

Leon stands, collecting the empty glasses and nudging Sherry awake. His keys slide out of his pocket with the sudden movement, and Claire drops to her knees to scoop them up.

"Another Jeep?" she notices.

He smirks. "You always have me pinned, Red."

A heat blooms in her spine at the softness of his voice, and as their hands brush with the exchange of his keys; her gaze slides to her feet. 

She’d be lying if she said Leon didn’t make something stir inside her. 

It felt like only yesterday she’d practically leapt into his arms outside of that little gas station, the two of them scrambling away while firing blindly at the zombies that trailed after them.

Claire assures herself that what she feels for Leon is more brotherly than anything, even with his impossibly caramel hair and throaty voice.

She’s pulled from her rumination on Leon by Chris’ reappearance. 

“Hey, sorry about that. Drunk Jill is quite a handful.”

This elicits a general murmur of agreement from everyone.

“So, listen, before you guys go, I need to ask you for your help with something really important.”

The three of them stare at him uncomprehendingly. 

“So, as you know, um, Jill and I have been dating for almost a year now, and I’ve decided that I wanna tie the knot. Ask her to get married.”

Claire’s face lights up with surprise. “Chris! No way! That’s great! When?”

He looks down at his lap. “See, that’s the thing. It’s kind of...involved, and it’s a week long excursion.”

Sherry’s eyes bulge. “Is it that cruise you were talking about a couple of weeks ago? You’re going to propose to her on the cruise?” She squeals. “That’s so romantic!”

Leon scratches the back of his head. "I don't know, Chris. You want us to come on this cruise with you for an entire week?” He grimaces.

The older man presses his palms together. "Please, Leon. It’d mean everything to me. And hey, it’s on me. Free vacation.”

Claire bumps his shoulder with her own and he looks down to find her gazing up at him from where she's standing. "C'mon," she urges. "It'll be fun. Maybe you'll meet a nice girl and settle down." Her eyebrows waggle comically. He almost laughs, but something about the glowy tint of her skin and her obvious joy - it's infectious - makes him swallow in shock.

"I..I guess I could work something out." His voice is thick with delirium.

Chris beams. “No way! This is going to be amazing with your help, dude.”

“Oh, can I bring Jake?” Sherry begs. 

Chris pulls her in for a one-sided hug, laughing. “I’d be delighted if he joined us, kid.”

“My brother is going to marry Jill Valentine!” Claire crows.

Leon is quickly enveloped in the quiet, ensuing celebration.

He feels his lips curve upwards.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Believe it or not, this chapter *was* shorter — and I made it longer! The following ones I'm hoping to also lengthen as I continue to edit and post. Thank you for reading! Lend me some wisdom below :)


	3. messy halo

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Yeah.” Chris’ tone is the warmest he’s ever heard before. It’s good, but... weird. The notion that perhaps time has passed after all strikes him — sometimes, if he blinks too fast, the floor spins; and he’s twenty two again, saving the world. Thinking about a married Chris makes his bones ache. He swears he almost sees a tiny, translucent Sherry sweep past him; evaporating into thin air just as quickly as she’d come.

Jake trails behind Sherry, staring at his cell phone. 

“Are you sure this is the way to our dining room?” Sherry asks him, her Crocs squeaking against the polished floors.

“Positive,” he assures her. 

Her steps come to an immediate halt as they turn into the next hall, causing Jake to nearly vault his chest into her back. They stumble for a second before realigning themselves. 

“Oh. Hey, guys.” Claire gives them a tiny wave. Leon is trailing quietly behind her. 

“Sorry, we didn’t see you.” Sherry says. “You guys headed to dinner?”

Claire nods.

Sherry pouts. "We're lost. Can we follow you guys?"

“Yeah, it’s up ahead to the left.” Claire motions forward with her arm, her loose hair falling across her cheeks.

“I told you we didn’t know where we were going,” she hears the other girl whisper behind her to Jake.

“No you didn’t. You asked me if I was sure we were going the right way. And I said yes.”

They make it into their dining room somewhat unscathed (Jake can’t say the same - Sherry’s tongue may have given him whiplash), quickly finding their seats. 

Chris salutes from across the room and Jill blows Claire a kiss. 

The hostess brings out a basket of bread and fills up everyone’s glasses as a waiter passes out menus to the table. 

“Oh, wow, look at the wine selection,” Claire gasps. 

Leon leans in, nearly brushing his cheek against hers with the movement. She freezes. 

“Hey, you’re right.” A low whistle echoes from his mouth. “These are pretty classy.”

Sherry takes a piece of bread and tears a chunk off. “You a wine guy?”

He smirks. “Absolutely not.”

She snickers as the waiter begins taking dinner orders. 

“I’ll have the steak…” Jake’s voice fades out of Claire’s consciousness as she fidgets in her seat, fighting the rising urge to move nearer to Leon. He’s shifted away from her a little, poring over the fish portion of the menu, but he’s still close enough for her to see the strands of hair falling across his eyes.

She shakes her head to clear her thoughts, and by the time she’s back to her senses the waiter has disappeared.

“How are your guys’ cabins?” Sherry asks.

Leon chokes on the water in his mouth. “Uh…”

“It’s fine,” Claire cuts in. “I mean, mine is. I’m sure Leon’s cabin is separate but also great. Perfect.”

“But they put us —”

She elbows him violently, directly underneath his ribcage.

He winces and falls silent, inducing confusion from the couple across from them.

“Ooookay,” Sherry responds, eyebrows meeting her hairline. She changes the topic. “Listen, Claire, I was thinking that maybe we take Jill and we spend some time together after dinner?"

“Sounds great,” the redhead forces through gritted teeth.

 _What?_ Leon mouths when the other two aren’t looking.

“We can’t tell them! It’ll ruin Chris’s plan!” she hisses.

He rolls his eyes, shelving the argument until he can get her alone again.

It’s only when the hostess refills their water and brings a bottle of champagne to the table that Claire realizes she's forgotten to actually order.

Damn it all.

* * *

As soon as Claire takes the last bite of her food, Sherry and Jill both grab one of her elbows and drag her from the table. 

It’s with this that Leon realizes belatedly that he won’t see his new roommate until at _least_ midnight. 

He sighs as Jake gets up to trail after them, his eyes glued to his phone.

“A beer sounds pretty good, don’t you think?” Chris booms suddenly.

“Only if you promise to get a real beer, Chris, and not that Bud Light garbage.” Leon makes a disgusted face. 

Chris chuckles, the two of them falling into an easy silence as they leave the dining room together.

“So….you and Jill, married,” Leon says.

“Yeah.” Chris’ tone is the warmest he’s ever heard before. It’s good, but... weird. The notion that perhaps time has passed after all strikes him — sometimes, if he blinks too fast, the floor spins; and he’s twenty two again, saving the world.

Thinking about a married Chris makes his bones ache.

He swears he almost sees a tiny, translucent Sherry sweep past him; evaporating into thin air just as quickly as she’d come.

“She completes me, you know?” His friend stares at the wall as he talks. “We’ve been to hell and back with each other, and I couldn’t imagine any of it happening without Jill by my side. Not to mention, I’d do it all again.” His face has a wry expression on it. “For her.”

Leon doesn’t offer a reply. 

“But uh, listen, what about you? You got anyone special?”

Claire’s ringing laughter echoes throughout his brain. 

“Ah. Well, even if there was, work would get in the way. So. No.” Leon shuffles his hair nervously, desperately willing the sound to dissipate.

“No one? Really. Not even Ada, or any of those women you’ve rescued so amazingly in the last ten years?”

Leon has to smirk at this. “No. They’re just not my type. I mean, I only ever saw Ada in the middle of battle. It would make no sense to chase _that._ Only spells problems for me. Won’t lie, she’s not terrible to look at in the sewers of a zombie-infested city, though.” He pauses to think. “And women like Ashley were too high-strung. Couldn’t match my pace.”

Chris makes a noise of affirmation. “Yeah, I remember you telling me about her."

They spend another hour or so together, falling into a rhythm.

“Well, hey, I’m glad you were able to come. Honestly, I mean that,” Chris tells him as they leave the ship’s bar. 

Leon looks at him, confused with the sudden sincere timbre of his voice.

“I want you to be my best man, Kennedy.”

His eyes round. 

“Me? What about...Jake? Or —”

“Leon, you’re a good guy. You've always been a good guy. And my little sister is fond of you. So that makes you my friend."

His heart swells.

“To hell with it. Sure. I'd love to."

Chris, overcome with joy, wraps his arm around Leon's shoulders and squeezes tightly.

“It’s not a paid gig, but I’ll let you hold hands with Claire down the aisle,” he jokes, winking exaggeratedly. 

Leon feels the corner of his lip twitch.

* * *

On the way back to his cabin that evening, Leon wonders if he should tell Claire that Chris asked him to be his best man, or if he should let her brother tell her himself. 

He's pulled from his thoughts by shouting.

He pokes his head out to the middle of the hall, where a muscular kid is throwing around a tiny drunk girl. The back of his jacket reads "ALLEN" in big, yellow felted letters. She's mad as hell — swinging her fists and stomping on his toes. He feels irritation swell within his chest, and he surges forward. 

"Hey." He taps the hulking idiot's shoulder. Allen whips around, only to be met with the crunch of Leon's fist in his nose.

The bastard yowls in pain, his big meaty paw releasing its grip on the girl. She stumbles backwards, hiccuping, and Leon realizes it's Claire. 

"Sherry and Jill let you do too many Fireball shots, huh," he remarks smartly, slinging her arm over his neck.

"Y..you punched that guy. I didn't need you to. I could have...taken him."

He laughs. "Okay, Red."

"I _didn't need your help,"_ she spits.

"Keep talking like that and you'll get the pullout." He nudges her through their door and closes it with a snap right as Allen comes barreling down the hall.

"You won't."

They stare at each other for a moment, her breathing heavy and his hand hot on her waist. 

"Suit yourself." Leon deposits her on the couch. "Enjoy."

Claire sits up. Her hair is a messy halo around the crown of her head, and her skin is the color of a ripe gala apple. "You're such a mean old codger. I'm getting in the bed."

She kicks the sheets around for a moment before sleepily cursing at him, and within minutes, she's passed out. 

Leon studies her, the curve of her face and the length of her torso. Her legs — pale and freckled, with a delicate gold anklet encircling her foot. 

A deep flush works its way into his skin, and he runs a hand over his jaw.

His blood pressure was going to suffer greatly from this predicament.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In the first publication of this fic, this particular chapter was a beast. She was heavy! I wrote a lot for this chapter last time, thinking that the longer it was, the more plot I had! Not always true. I trimmed it down quite a bit, fortunately. Here's to hoping you're genuinely in love with this fic - tell me what I'm doing wrong if you're not! Or, you know, tell me what I'm doing *right!* As always, thank you!


	4. vibrant flame

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Leon was charming, without even trying, and he'd always been one of Claire's most trusted friends. His thick tufts of dishwasher blonde hair and stormy gaze appeared in every man she'd even considered going on a date with — even when the other party looked nothing like him.

The aroma of rich espresso finally drags Claire out of an alcohol-infused slumber sometime around ten.

"Morning." 

She pulls herself into a sitting position.

Leon is seated on the balcony outside the room, the door propped open.

"You sleep okay?”

A yawn bubbles into Claire's chest at the question, but the rollicking of the ship disrupts it. Warm, bright shafts of sunlight stream through the glass panes of the doors; swallowing Leon's figure in shadow. 

They're surrounded by nothing but sea, and somehow, the thought comforts Claire. 

She blinks, and the gesture is almost feline in its manner. 

“Good enough, I guess.”

He comes to stand in front of her. “If you could stop picking fights with random strangers when you’re drunk, that would be great. Especially because we need to talk about why we’re not telling others about —” he motions wildly around them “— _this.”_

Claire stretches a little, her hands coming up to brush his chin. “Noted.”

He swats her away. “Speaking of which. I want my own room."

She scratches her head. “Listen. Chris has been talking about proposing to Jill since he met her. If we tell him they screwed up our rooms, he’ll be _convinced_ everything is destroyed. Are you prepared to deal with the emotional fallout?”

Leon snorts. “I think you’re being a little dramatic.”

“Please? It’s only for a week. It’s not like we haven’t shared a room before.” She folds her hands in a pleading manner. “Just do me this favor. Help me make sure this ties up without a problem, and I’ll do whatever you want.” 

“What is it with you Redfields and needing help to accomplish basic tasks?” He mutters exasperatedly. She narrows her eyes. “Okay, fine, fine! We’ll share this room for a week.” He narrows his eyes. “You owe me, Red. Or should I start calling you Fireball?”

Claire flops back onto the mattress, and the daylight that’s pooling in illuminates her; turning her cerise-colored hair into a vibrant flame. Her hips peek out from under her top. Leon swallows. 

Hard. 

“If that’s what you want,” she murmurs.

His mouth is so _dry._ Why is there no water in this room?

A knock at the door has both of them turning their heads. 

“Claire!” 

It’s Sherry,

“A - uh, yeah?” She hollers back, not moving.

“The florist needs Chris’ order picked up today — God only knows why — but can you find Leon and take him with you after breakfast? There’s a lot, and they need to be transported by cart. Two sets of hands will make it easier.”

“Um, sure!”

The doorknob jiggles violently.

“Why is this door locked? You have a guy in there?”

Claire and Leon lock eyes. 

“...yes?” Claire answers.

“You minx! See you at lunch!”

Leon glowers at her, and Claire decides it’s probably a good time to shower and get dressed.

* * *

The cruise ship, as Claire and Leon quickly discover, is sprawling. Each deck is special — some home to cabins, some stacked with restaurants, one dedicated to an arcade, and yet another with huge pools. 

"What floor are we going to again?" Leon inquires.

"Oh! Um —" Claire reaches into her pocket and tugs out a directory, only to have it knocked away by the girl next to her. She's having a very loud conversation on the phone.

"I told them not to do that, you know? It's not like —"

"Excuse me," Claire says, stooping down to pick up the paper. The woman doesn't hear her, and her heel lands on Claire's hand. 

Her yelp of pain draws Leon's immediate attention.

"Oh my _God,_ what the hell? Watch where you're going!" The lady snaps as Claire cradles her palm. "Crawling on a dirty elevator floor."

"You know, you could maybe ask if she's okay before you start piling on evidence for a possible future lawsuit. This ship is still American soil even though we're docked in Cabo San Lucas," Leon fires back. 

She finally notices Leon and her demeanor switches from mean to syrupy-sweet. "Is this your little sister? I'm so sorry!"

He shoots her a look full of acid. "No, it's my girlfriend. If you're at all a little remorseful, you should accompany us to the infirmary."

Her brown eyes well up. "It was an accident! I'm so sorry."

Claire grunts. "Ignore her, Leon. Let's just go. It hurts."

He wraps an arm around her waist and assists her out of the elevator and down the hall. 

"Look on the bright side," he whispers as they walk through a pair of sliding glass doors. "We're around the corner from the florist."

She barks a laugh.

* * *

"Are you sure you can manage?"

"It's just a minor sprain, Leon, I promise. I got it."

He eyes Claire as she pushes on next to him, the two of them loading the cart onto the elevator.

The air is thick with silence between them as she toys with the bandages on her wrist.

"Why'd you tell her I was your girlfriend?"

He coughs. "Uh...I don't know, she seemed like she was being patronizing to you. Calling you my little sister and stuff."

Claire looks up at him in disbelief. "You know that's not why she said that, right? She thought you were hot. She was trying to find out if you were dating me or not."

Leon shifts uncomfortably. "Why not just straight up ask me, then? And what a weird time to try and hit on someone. She almost crushed all the bones in your little hand."

(This was about sixty-five percent true.) 

"My hands aren't little. Anyway, you're not flattered by the fact that she thinks you're hot?"

"Do you think I'm hot?" he retorts.

She gapes at him, perplexed.

The elevator doors open with a loud _ping,_ only for the two of them to be greeted by Chris. 

"Hey! Just the idiots I wanted to see. These flowers are going across the hall, right into the Rue de Joie eatery. They're keeping them in a cooler for me." He frowns. "Claire, what happened to your hand?" His frown deepens as they come closer. "Are you running a fever? You're awfully red," he remarks.

"Nothing!" She blurts, skittering away with the cart of flowers. Leon stands in front of Chris, his face stony. 

"...you two good?"

"Yeah, yeah," Leon assures him.

They were perhaps the furthest thing from that.

* * *

Claire says a brisk goodbye to the waitress at Rue de Joie, hurrying to the nearby smoothie bar. 

_Why would he say those things? Why would he ask that question?_

She smacks her cheeks, begging her skin to cool down. 

_You're going to be twenty-eight, Claire,_ she reprimands herself. _Quit acting like a schoolgirl._

But....

She thanks the barista and chews her straw anxiously, trying not to put too much thought into it —

— and failing. He was just too handsome. He was. Leon was charming, without even trying, and he'd always been one of Claire's most trusted friends. His thick tufts of dishwasher blonde hair and stormy gaze appeared in every man she'd even considered going on a date with — even when the other party looked nothing like him. 

Put simply, he was everywhere. 

She wasn't going to sleep at _all_ tonight.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, guys, so sorry for the late update this week - I had several car issues that needed immediate addressing. I hope you enjoyed! Leave me some comments/any questions you have below! Until next week :)


	5. earth to claire

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The other girl rolls her eyes. “Ooooh my God, don’t even give me that. You’ve been pining for him since you were twenty. And we all see the way he looks at you. It’s about time someone put the two of you in a room together again.”  
> “I have not!” Claire argues. Then she stops. “Wait... ‘It’s about time someone put the two of you in a room together again?’ What do you mean?”

In spite of Claire's protests, Leon takes the couch the next two nights; and the space between them only grows more and more awkward. 

"Alright, spit it out," Claire finally says one morning as she busts into the bathroom. 

Leon points to his mouth in bewilderment.

"Yes, you," she urges. 

He opens his mouth as instructed and spills his mouthwash into the sink. 

She wrinkles her nose. "I see where there may have been a miscommunication."

He rolls his eyes and caps the bottle. "What’s up?”

"Just say sorry for being weird and let's be done dancing around each other. We only have four more days left together. Let's make them as normal as possible."

He eyes her outstretched hand. "Who said I was being weird?" 

She swears she stops breathing. "I-wh?"

Leon steps close, close enough for her to tell which flavor Listerine he's using, and he bows his neck in her direction. Claire thinks she might go into cardiac arrest.

"See you at breakfast." He breezes past her. 

She croaks a weak _okay_ in response.

* * *

Chris is hard at work directing a dry run of the following night's proposal when Claire arrives holding a warm paper bag and a bottle of water.

“Hey,” he says without looking up from his phone. “How goes it?”

“I -”

She’s cut off by him lunging forward and snatching a piece of decor from a waitress’ hands. The poor girl jumps in surprise. “That can’t be moved,” he snaps. “It’s important that everything is perfect. Even for the rehearsal.” She utters a tiny _sorry_ and hurries away, nearly stumbling over her own feet. 

“Chris.”

He turns to see his sister, dark eyebrow cocked at his unusually persnickety behavior. 

“I brought you something to eat, besides whatever extreme amount of caffeine is in that -” she gestures to the paper cup sitting beside him “- and the handful of almonds you had this morning.” She pushes it towards him. “Seems like I came at the right time, too. You owe that poor thing a sincere apology when we’re done here.”

Chris takes the bag sheepishly. “What is it?”

“It’s a burrito. Eat it.”

He tears into it gratefully as Claire studies the room around them. 

“Where are the others? Didn’t you ask them to go over this with you?”

“I did. Not sure when they’ll get here.”

A knock on the glass door of the restaurant (which is closed for the day) announces Sherry and Jake’s arrival, with Leon silently following. 

Claire’s face immediately pinkens. 

He avoids eye contact. 

“Here’s what I’m thinking we’ll do…” Chris draws Leon to his side in heated discussion.

A nudge at Claire’s hip draws her attention away from the scene before her.

“Earth to Claire. What’s got you and Leon so stiff? And what happened to your hand?” Sherry hammers.

Claire coughs loudly.

“Nothing. What? Nothing. We’re cool.”

Something sparks in Sherry’s eyes. “Oh my _God._ Yesterday when I came to your room, and you said there was a guy in there — was it _him?_ There’s always been an unspoken tension between you two, but —”

Claire panics and snatches Sherry, frenetically wheeling her out of the room.

“It’s not what you think,” she insists. “They accidentally put us in a room together, and we have to tough it out until this proposal is over! If we try to sort it out, everything will become a disaster. I can’t risk that. Chris has been _dreaming_ of this moment. And ‘ _there’s unspoken tension between us?’_ There is not!”

The other girl rolls her eyes. “Ooooh my God, don’t even give me that. You’ve been pining for him since you were twenty. And we _all_ see the way he looks at you. It’s about time someone put the two of you in a room together again.” She hesitates. “Well, Chris probably has no idea you two are into each other, but then again, trying to get him to realize Jill was into him was like moving a brick wall — nearly impossible.”

“I have not!” Claire argues. Then she stops. “Wait... ‘It’s about time someone put the two of you in a room together again?’ What do you mean?”

The color drains slightly from Sherry’s face. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

Claire’s line of questioning is derailed by Chris exiting the restaurant.

“Don’t repeat a _single_ word of what I told you,” she threatens. Sherry mimics a key turning over her lips and tosses it away.

"How about that proposal plan?” she turns to ask Chris. 

“Glad you mentioned it,” is his exuberant response. “What we’re going to do is…”

Against her better will, Claire finds her eyes drifting in Leon’s direction. The evening sunset is coming through an open bay window to his side, and the rosy tint casts him in an almost ethereal light. He blinks, and his fine lashes brush against his stupid high cheekbones. 

Her brain flashes back to her mental dilemma the previous night. 

Was Sherry right? Was there unspoken tension between her and Leon? 

He’d always softened her. But she attributed that to their shared experiences, the trauma they’d both shouldered. Leon, destroyed by Lanshiang. Claire, battered from Sushestvovanie. Not to mention the terror that was Raccoon. Often, she’d call him, ask him to talk - and he never failed to pick up. 

And maybe that’s why she felt so sweetly towards him. Because he was her rock. 

She brightens. 

Yes, that’s it. That’s why. It was because he was a fraternal figure to her, and when he’d asked if she thought he was hot, _that’s_ why it felt weird! Of course!

Relief washes over her, and before she can question why it’s relief of all things she feels, her _actual_ brother's voice tugs her from the recesses of her subconscious. 

“What do you say we go for some ice cream, you guys?”

* * *

“I’ll have the strawberry. Two scoops. She’ll have the rocky road. With hot fudge. Don’t be stingy.”

“Aw, Jake, you remembered how I like my ice cream!” Sherry squeezes his hand. He looks down at her with a smile as the cashier gives him his change. 

“Are they ever going to order?” He asks, tilting his head in the direction of Chris and Jill, who are nitpicking over what size they want to share. 

“We have the money to get a large, babe,” Chris insists. 

“But we’re not going to _finish_ it!” Jill fires back. “It’ll be a waste.”

Sherry snorts.

As they step aside, Sherry spots Claire, arms on the ship’s awning. She's studying the sea with the intensity of a guard dog.

“What’s up with her and Kennedy?” 

The blonde chews her lip. “No clue. Tried to wriggle that same question out of her. Only ended up in an argument, cause I sort of let it slip that Jill and I purposely stuck her in a room with Leon, so —”

“You what.” Jake’s voice goes flat. “You _huh.”_

Sherry purses her lips in regret. 

“You’re aware that the two of them will kill you, no?” His tone is rhetorical as she takes her ice cream from him.

“That’s collateral I’m willing to risk at this point. They need to just quit dancing around each other.”

Jake glances at her. “I don’t know if they’re actually as aware of the other as you think. Something tells me Claire comes by her bumbling disposition naturally.”

As if on cue, Chris drops the cone in his hand. It _splats_ onto the ground in front of him, and he frowns almost comically.

* * *

Claire and Leon share a taciturn walk back to their cabin.

Upon entering, Leon goes to open the pullout.

"You don't want the bed?" She asks in surprise. 

"No, I can take the couch."

She falls quiet and disappears into the bathroom. The sound of running water indicates that she's probably showering.

Leon sighs. 

He doesn't know how to fix this tension. It's not like Claire was necessarily mad at him! So why can't he just....apologize for being kind of weird, like she said, and let it go?

_Because you want to know her answer._

But why? 

_The same reason she popped into your brain when her brother asked if you were seeing anyone._

He yanks on the lever that unfolds the sleeper, blushing at the thought. 

His shyness quickly turns into irritation when he realizes that the furniture isn't budging. A curse tumbles from his lips. 

"Leon?" Claire re-enters, her face bare and hair damp. 

"Damn thing won't work." She crouches next to him. He can smell her shampoo. It's coconut-scented.

"Why don't we just share the bed?" she asks innocently. 

He nearly chokes on his own saliva.

"I guess..."

She tilts her head some, and smiles a little. "Why do I have to keep reminding you that we've shared a room _and_ a bed before?"

_Yeah, and I was nervous then, too._

She stands goes to wash her face while Leon tries to get his heart rate under control. 

"And while we're at it," she hollers, "Can we _please_ just go back to how we were like three days ago? I —" she emerges, hands on her dangerously curvy hips "— know you were just teasing, by the elevator and this morning, but to me, you're like my second big brother."

_Boom._

"I'm sure you understand?" she adds, tilting her head prettily.

Something fractures just under his ribcage. "Of course," is his soft reply. "I was just joking. Sorry to have made you uncomfortable."

"It's okay. It's not a big deal, just..." Something flickers behind her grey-blue orbs briefly before she switches topics. "Anyway, let me just moisturize and then the bathroom's free. Be right out."

Leon watches her push the door closed, knuckles white on the foldout handle.

What he doesn't see is Claire gripping the sink in front of her, wondering why she feels like she's lying.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ugh not the mutual pining,,,,,


End file.
